When Manchester United entered last summer’s transfer window, the focus was on signing a new centre-forward. Rasmus Hojlund’s poor form and Joshua Zirkzee’s struggle adapting led the transfer chiefs to prioritise signing a new number nine.
Benjamin Sesko arrived from RB Leipzig in a £74m deal, and the Slovenian striker has been impressive since the turn of the year. United had also set its sights on Victor Osimhen, who was available after a falling out with Napoli.
The Nigerian striker spent last season on loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray but was on the Reds’ radar in their mission to find a frontman. The financial terms of a potential deal seemed to put INEOS off.
Manchester United Osimhen obstacle revealed
Benni McCarthy, who was part of Erik ten Hag’s backroom team, was around for the start of INEOS’ regime. He learned why the co-owners were hesitant to sign Osimhen and delved into this in an interview with BBC Sport:
“If you spend £100M on a player, you do not want to lose him for AFCON. I think he would have been very successful there. But it [AFCON] was a big stumbling block.”
Osimhen joined Galatasaray permanently in a Turkish transfer record €75 million (£64.8m) deal. The 27-year-old continues to be one of Europe’s most prolific forwards.
The Nigerian’s absence due to the African Cup of Nations was deemed too risky:
“Losing him for so many important matches, the team suffers not having the main striker there. So the decision was made. Literally, a big part was because of AFCON and his name got scratched off – not a player of interest because of that.”
Osimhen has been excellent in front of goal this season, finding the back of the net 16 times in 24 games across competitions. He was a major reason Napoli won the Serie A title in the 2022-23 campaign, finishing as top scorer with 26 goals.
The right call
United’s reasons for not making a move for Osimhen are understandable, given the amount of game time he’d miss due to AFCON. The Reds have already endured this situation with Bryan Mbeumo, who joined from Brentford last summer for £70m.
Sesko hasn’t even been the starting number nine since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January. The 22-year-old has instead been an impact-sub role and taken it on with aplomb.
The former Leipzig frontman has bagged five goals in his last six outings for the Red Devils. He made a slow start at Old Trafford, but patience was key, given he needed to adapt to a new league.
Sesko was the right choice for the club as he is still young and can lead the line for years to come. His personality has been applauded by those behind the scenes, waiting for his opportunity.
Another striker could arrive at the Theatre of Dreams this summer amid uncertainty over Zirkzee’s future. The Dutch attacker faltered after arriving from Bologna in the summer of 2024 and is thought to want a more for more game time.
